Preaching through Hebrews 11:23–31, David Doster opens with a simple but weighty reminder: for anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ, that faith will be tested. It will be challenged, mocked, and sometimes it will cost you — possessions, reputation, comfort, or more. And yet, the antidote to fear has always been faith. Eleven times in Hebrews 11 alone, the writer returns to that same phrase — by faith — pointing us again and again to the only means by which God's people have ever navigated the crises of life. The object of that faith is not a building or a personality, but Jesus himself.

At the heart of the passage, David lingers on what he calls one of the most stunning verses in all of Hebrews 11 — verse 26, where Moses "considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." Writing roughly 1,400 years before Christ walked the earth, the author of Hebrews is telling us that Moses, by faith, looked through the corridor of human history and fixed his hope on the coming Messiah. He turned away from royal privilege, overwhelming wealth, and the fleeting pleasures of sin — not because those things weren't real, but because he could see something more real still. That kind of eternal perspective, David argues, is the theological engine driving everything else in this passage: Moses leaving Egypt unafraid of Pharaoh's anger, the Israelites trusting God through the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling after seven days of marching, and even Rahab — a Canaanite outsider — risking her life because she believed that "the Lord your God, he is God in the heavens above and on the earth" (Joshua 2:9–11).

David closes by weaving in his own story of stepping out in faith with no house sold and nowhere to move, only to watch God provide at the last possible moment. The invitation is clear and personal: wherever you are on the journey, ask yourself what you truly value, what threatens that, where your focus has drifted, and what step of faith the Lord may already be calling you to take. Like Moses, like Rahab, like the people crossing the Red Sea on dry ground — we are never, never alone in the crisis. God meets us there because he wants to show us more of himself.

Transcript

You can open up to Hebrews 11 and as you can see, we're going to be in verses 23 through 31 this morning.

It amazing, maybe overstating, but oftentimes when I'm sitting there and particularly if I'm the one preaching a marvel, as I listen to the things that we sing and then as I hear people share as truth is offered testimony and I sit back and I marvel and delight at how the Lord weaves his presence, his truth and his purposes, even for the portion of time that we're privileged to be together on a given Sunday morning. And anyway, just so encouraging, whether it says we're singing precious hymn songs, spiritual songs, people are sharing key scriptures or experiences, rejoicing. Rebecca, as you shared the struggle three weeks ago or about roughly, and then come back to report how the Lord met you in that or to share and for us to be able to get a window in to hear what the move of the Spirit there at Appalachian State or Romania or Ukraine, all of a sudden we're here worshiping this great God and as we hear different ones offer these precious truths, it's as if the Lord wraps his arms around us and says you belong to me and oh by the way, you're a part of something that's so much bigger than you or even this church. My purposes and my ways are going forth all over, all over. And so just so encouraging in that regard to hear folks share.

Well, let's pray.

Lord, you know how I love history. And even yesterday with the men as Brad was leading us in a just an excellent discussion and precious parts of the history of your people, even how you work in the midst of frailty to move forward your redemptive purposes, Lord, and for us here together we rejoice and pray for and over those students there at App State, we think of those, the ones that were baptized, perhaps others as well. But our prayer, Lord, is that they would be that good soil there from Mark chapter four, and that the seeds of the gospel would surely take take hold and the roots would go down and they would begin to grow and you would open up their eyes of faith to see see you in amazing ways that would Mark them for the rest of their lives. We pray Lord, as we think of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, even as Brian had shared. And just imagine what it's like, Lord, to live almost in a continual state of chaos and crisis and persevere even though tired and weary.

And yet how you were able to use Brian and Sandy to encourage them. And I'm sure, it was going back and forth. And that's how you work, Lord. And we marvel and delight in that as well. We step into the pages of history as we step into this portion of Hebrews 11, and, Lord, it again, we're reminded that your plan and purposes reach way back.

And we are here rejoicing this morning because of your gospel that has apprehended our hearts. And we, Lord, begin to bring about a transformation that enables us to see things that we could never see just in merely our flesh, but that you would open the eyes of our hearts, Lord, even as we see and will be reflected in the. In the verses this morning, God, I pray for my brothers and sisters and for myself, and that you, Lord, continue to help us to see as you would have us to see. And then, Lord, with the grace and truth and whatever else, the courage, the conviction, the endurance to persevere even though there may be hard seasons. Lord, we think of Dana and Loretta.

No, there's a tenderness as they think of their precious friend. And, Lord, there's mercy even expressed that they are with you now. And they are. They're not suffering from this horrible disease. Lord, you know, as we come to your word, you are fully acquainted with every heart and all of the thoughts, the good and glorious things and the hard things, maybe even dark battles mete out, as only you are able to do, Lord, the grace, the mercy, the truth, and whatever else needed for us to carry forth from this place of worship and live out our faith in the coming week as well.

Already just as amen. Already kind of excited, but already the. The notion. Sometimes you get ahead of yourself. Y' all okay with that?

Thank you. By the way, it's always great to see you, you girls, and see grandpa over here.

Oh, yeah. So already you've gotten the sense. And I. My favorite ophthalmologist is here this morning, which is always, always exciting. There you are.

And that you'd come all the way down from Minnesota to minister among us, so. But eyes, the ability to see. And where do you have your. Your focus? And sometimes you're going places and you're dependent upon others, even things called gps.

I think that's how you say it. So if. If in the course of conversation with you, I asked you to repeat what you just said, even though you're this close, it's not you, I'll leave you. Leave it for you to figure out what the problem is. But my.

My dear, dear daughter, how many times I've had to say, honey, now what did you say? So anyway, with the encouragement of the brothers in this church, I drove a vast distance towards Morrisville, North Carolina, to a place called Costco. Y' all familiar with Costco? It's a large box store. We don't have one around here.

But anyway, I had called and I had made reservations to see about a membership and then to have my ears examined and all this stuff. And I. It was at 10:30 and I was going to get there at 10. And I had it laid out, Jay, and I had put it into my GPS and I'm just going along. I'm down 40, everything's on time.

I turn south on 77, I get off. I think it's one exit. Is it 49 or a. Or something that probably tells you the problem coming, but nonetheless. So I head out, I go east, and I'm out in the country for a while and I'm looking at my clock and I said, I'm supposed to be at Costco at 10, and it's 8, it's 9:50.

It's not looking good. So anyway, I. I get out and about 20 minutes out, and the GPS says, you've arrived. And I'm out in the middle of nowhere and there's a gas station there. And I said, that doesn't look like Costco. It looks like Joe Blow's gas pump.

But anyway, so I immediately, I put back, I promise you. Now, I know a lot of you are saying you didn't enter the correct address Doster, but I did. 398, Talbot wrote they're in Mooresville. Well, I'm not going to tell you exactly how it went, but I went into NASCAR mode and I'm near nascar, so maybe I thought Smokey would be patient with me. I'm zipping down 150.

It's 1010. It's 1020. I'm supposed to be there at 10, and now I get there at 1035 and I walk in. I've never been to this place, and it's like going to a big zoo. The Lord provided so.

And I got there and even though I was late, they were very understanding. But where you set your gaze. And you know, I'm a big technology fan, but sometimes technology could. Could mislead you, and sometimes you can find yourself in crisis. And isn't it interesting as we approach and come back into Hebrews chapter 11, we've already been walking through as Ben started us off back in the beginning several weeks ago, and then Jay and then Don and then Rick last week, and we've been drilling down into the hearts and lives of individuals from long ago, but who've provided for us all kinds of examples of faith.

But what's interesting is generally what we've seen is they're not at the beach, they're not in a comfortable place, they're not where it's convenient or anything like that. And so this morning, as we look into it, I want to remind us that crisis is a part of the journey. And specifically we want to take a look at crisis in faith. But I want to encourage you. And this, as you're going to see, especially in verse 26, which Carrie referenced, one of the most glorious and stunning, I think, in all of chapter 11.

No offense to the other guys or anything, but it just explodes because you realize the time period, the context and what this reveals, which then pours forth incredible encouragement for us. And so just simply on the front end to say that for the man or woman, boy or girl, that places their faith in Jesus Christ, all these new believers there at App State, go App. State. Go Jesus as their Savior, and surrender to him as Lord. I'm just going to say it.

You already know it, but without saying that your faith in Jesus will be tested, it will be challenged, it will be mocked, it may even be assaulted. And it's going to cost you. It may cost possessions, it may cost money, it may cost jobs, reputation. It may result in the reality of encountering pain, the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of humiliation, even the fear of death. All of these realities.

Because faith never asks us to deny reality. It says no. With Jesus, we stare into the reality and we trust him, even though we don't see the twists and turns, but we cling to him. Lord, will you show us the way? And some of you are right there, right now, and you don't know what's around the corner.

But perhaps it even feels ominous in some measure. The antidote, not surprisingly for fear, is faith. And 11 times, just within the span of this chapter, we read that simple prepositional phrase, by faith. In other words, the means to navigate in and through whatever may come our way is by faith. And the object of that faith is Jesus.

Not a building, not a pastoral personality or anything. If we do anything in this church, here we must point, reinforce, encourage, challenge, sharpen our faith, focus our gaze upon Jesus. Here's just a statement as we think of Biblical faith. Biblical faith is not passive. Biblical faith engages our minds.

Biblical faith obeys the Lord. Even though sacrifice is required. Biblical faith will cause us to Be uncomfortable at times. And Biblical faith will result in a growing desire to glorify God undergirded by an eternal perspective. Is that all that could be said about faith?

No. Are those key ingredients of what faith looks like? Yes. So the other night, I love hearing about some of the dinners for eight. So the other night we were over at Brad's house and we were having a great time, and it's just wonderful to be around a table together, enjoying a meal and having folks share.

And Brad kind of, as we'd had some informal discussion. Ask the question, can you remember a time and occasion when the Lord met you? What a great question. And then to just let it sort of settle, which is sometimes what has to happen. Don't be in a hurry, because people's minds, their emotions, their thoughts, their remembrances are stirring.

And so we asked that question, and what was absolutely precious is to listen as we run around the table. And different ones sheared from their lives, their journeys. And not surprisingly, they sheared from difficult, painful, scary, daunting, sometimes overwhelming places and situations in their lives.

And I felt like I knew my brothers and sisters in some measure better. So thank you for having us. Thank you for your question, and thank you for what was offered. So I thought about that, and what came to mind was an experience that my family and I had a number of years ago. A while back, I had shared this with a few, but we were living in Little Rock, Arkansas, and we were there from 1990 to 1997.

And it was a wonderful time. Two of our three children were born. We were starting to put down roots. But then the Lord began to stir the winds of change. So when you're established, so I think of like Abraham, hey, things are settled.

Life's good. Well, we need to. If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it. Just keep on trucking along. Well, but that's not how sometimes the Lord works and how sometimes how the spirit stirs, provokes.

So ultimately came to the point of making the decision to leave what was a wonderful experience. And again, look back with a lot of fondness in that period of departure. There was a portion of about a year before the Lord orchestrated an opportunity for us to move to Maryland. We had had gone up in January of 1997, so it was super bowl weekend because we missed our flight back. And we ended up watching Green Bay smoke the New England Patriots there at the restaurant in the.

In the airport. We get back, this is a kind of a fledgling church plan. And it was meeting in the shop class of a high school. So not the best setting, especially if you've got little children and they're walking around grabbing power tools and things like that. Fortunately, I was there to help them understand how to operate these things.

Of course, Pat. Pat's not here, you notice I tell it now. Anyway, so we said, okay, well, let us. Let's finish the semester and we'll move in June. And so by Easter, things were kind of unraveling in this setting.

And they said, we need you up here as quickly as you can get here. So you're kind of doing that. Well, we had just put our house on the Market in March, so the last Sunday was going to be the first Sunday in June. And then we would be loading up and heading up. Well, our house was on the Market and it wasn't selling and it wasn't selling and it wasn't selling.

And the Sunday of the week we were going to move.

The church brought us forward to pray over us. There were. There are no bids on our house, not a one. And we also didn't know where we were going to be moving to. You know, and if you're a.

A husband and a father with a wife and children, you're. You're thinking it's probably good if we have somewhere to move to. So we go forward as a part of the service. And this is Fellowship Bible Church. I know you can't really see it and I'm not going to pass it around, but this is my sweetheart and I up on the platform and we're kneeling.

And these dear brothers and elders, they're praying over us. And some of you have had similar sort of things. But we walk. We're walking out to the car. We're out approaching our car in the parking lot.

We have not sold our house. We have nowhere to go.

And Julie says, are we crazy?

And I thought, yeah, I guess we are. And the only thing that could come to mind at that point was, sweetheart, we are standing at the Red Sea and the Egyptians are bearing down on us and somehow the Lord is going to make. Have to make a way for us sooner or later. And I say this to everyone that's here and probably folks that have lived for significant season of time, but for the younger folks who are here who maybe have not found themselves in actual crisis, I want to encourage you and this text encourages us mightily here that God meets us.

He meets you in crisis. We have seen through these first 10 chapters this Hebrew pastor elevate, exalt Jesus above everything. And Everyone that has come before in the Old Testament, we. He's demonstrated how Jesus has been the perfect and fulfillment of what the promises and the prophecies and yet. And why Jesus preeminently is qualified to be trusted.

What? Yes, with the little things, but to be trusted what? Our lives, our families, our salvation, our eternity. Wow. That almost kind of encompasses all the other things that might be a part of, of the journey.

But then what he does is in these verses, as we've seen and again this morning, he provides layers of living testimonies, real people made of the same stuff that we are filled with fear and anxiety and frailties and uncertainties and all kinds of things. And yet what we see is infinite faith. They persevered, they endured in and through sometimes excruciatingly difficult circumstances.

verse 26. If, if you'd put that up and I'm going to read the text here, but it says,

"Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward" - Hebrews 11:26

that undergirds virtually everything in this portion. And in one sense we could say all of Hebrews 11 to fortify the believers then. But let's look at the whole portion beginning in verse 23. And it says,

"By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months for his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful and that they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ's greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith, he left Egypt not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible by faith, he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith, the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith, Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." - Hebrews 11:23-31

And so here we see in these strategic individuals at an individual level, but also at a national level. And let's just be encouraged by the fact that even as one person thinking of your conversation with those dear people there in Ukraine, conversations that you will have this week. Part of it will be the listening, the fact that you even give an attentive ear to someone who may be in the midst of a battle, and then gently, but with strength and with the grace of God, respond to point them to the Lord. So we're going to see here this. These layers of living faith, several expressions that involve things at a parental level.

We're going to see it in Moses. We're going to see the community of faith, we're going to see illogical kind of faith expressed. And then we're going to meet this last, almost obscure figure who stands out with this radiant faith as well. So he begins, and not surprisingly, he gives a large chunk to focus on Moses, more so than we see in the others, because quite honestly, Moses is truly one of the towering figures in the whole of Scripture. We actually already encountered Moses back in chapter three, three, and particularly here in verses five and six. It says,

"Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant to testify to the things that were to be spoken later. But Christ is faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope." - Hebrews 3:5-6

So remember in those first 10 chapters, what was he doing? He was illustrating repeatedly, through a myriad of people and events, even including Moses, how Christ. Here's Moses, who is this significant figure, but Christ is greater still.

Moses was a servant in the house, referring to the people and purposes of God. Jesus is over the house. But we see already Moses plays this significant role. And so it's his greatness actually highlights the greatness of Christ. And so here let's look and consider the true treasure of Moses as he casts this again, this towering shadow.

The strategic role that Moses plays demonstrates to us what a profoundness in persevering of faith. And even as this portion here in verse 23 References Moses and particularly his parents, think in terms of how Moses, already reaching back, whether it's Exodus 34 or either Deuteronomy 6, was a part of the unfolding plan and in setting forth for God's covenant, community, truth, foundational truth, even as it pertained to what would be passed on from parents. And now we see here in verse 23, we're introduced to these parents, first of all, Exodus chapter 2, verses 1 through 4, and then Exodus 6.

"Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months, and when she could hide him no longer, she took him in a basket, it made a bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. And she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the riverbank. And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him." - Exodus 2:1-4

Then a little more biography later, in chapter six, it says,

"The sons of Merah, Mahla and Musha, these are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. Amram and took his wife, Jochebed his his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of the life of Amron being 137 years." - Exodus 6:19-20

Now, it says there in that first that he was fine. When we see it here, notice it, it describes the child was beautiful. When you look at the Greek translation of the Old Testament, yes, it's a word, a Greek word that means beautiful. It means attractive. But it's even more.

Now what's interesting is, and this is again, Hebrews is reaching back and forth and weaving together all kinds of threads from the whole of Scripture. In Acts chapter seven, we read, if you want to pull that up now, here's the context. Stephen is what he's before the religious leaders. In fact, he's standing. And it couldn't be a more hostile setting than where he is.

But as this faithful Jew, who already was described previously in Acts 6 as a man full of the Holy Spirit. Full of the Holy Spirit, we see how Stephen in some ways even mirrors Moses of faith, an enduring faith. And it so it says

"At this time, Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house. And when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son." - Acts 7:20-21

Now when we stop and we think we can just kind of read on as a historical narrative account, but when we see that word beautiful, fine. It also carries with it the meaning of divine election. What's happening here is not a casual sort of happenstance kind of events. Know what we read and what we see woven in are the sovereign fingerprints of God all over this. And so God is the one orchestrating this, even as they look into the face of the child.

Now when we stop and here you've got. Y' all got babies, we got babies on the way. You can rush past the drama, but virtually all of us here, many of us here know the reality of. Of having one. That's just a matter of weeks old.

And you're hiding a baby. Now all you have to do is say, okay, honey, be quiet. Right. Maybe not. So here they're concealing, hiding this baby, Aware of the fact that it's not just that this baby is a beautiful baby, but there's something of God's hand on the life of that child.

Now we stop and we think what they're exercising is none other than absolute defiance. Absolute defiance to a decree gave, given by someone that had political power, even life and death. You didn't say no to Pharaoh. You didn't say no back in the day to Ceausevsky there in Romania, or countless other dictators and rulers throughout. Unless.

Unless there was something deeper and more profound and actually eternal that undergirded and encouraged and strengthened. So we. Is it that that Moses parents are. Are they stupid or foolish? Or they rather gripped by a greater faith?

And they from that they knew exactly what was at stake. And so as a result, and we've seen this before, where the challenge is what? To not step back. Even now, I dare say many of us here in this room have pressures, influences, things that would come against you and say step back, retreat in your faith. Now is the time.

In fact, to be honest, it's always been the time for God's people, with wisdom and grace and discernment and strength, to step forward in faith. In two weeks, we're going to gather with brothers and sisters from other church bodies, Black, white, Hispanic, with a Chinese speaker. And in that, what brings us together, do not mistake. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that brings us together. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that provides foundation and grounding out of which even God's design and created order, including human sexuality and marriage and family, and the reality to pass on the faith of the gospel.

So here we see Moses being birthed in this context with these incredible parents who are wanting to do exactly what God asked them to do. When we come to verses 24 to 26, we could in one sense refer to this as a turning point, a crisis. One of the ways to describe a crisis is a turning point. And it's as Brad asked the question, can you recall a time when the Lord met you? And oftentimes again, it's in the midst of crisis where you're confronted at an intersection with challenges and difficulties.

It's in those places where you have opportunity to respond in faith, to trust God and to step forward even without knowing everything that's going to unfold. But here, as we read these verses here, there's a transformation. It's amazing sense of God's what of Yahweh's working in and through his parents. Almost as if there's kind of a spiritual DNA that is endowed to Moses, but it's not osmosis. But it does point to the fact that there's something to be said for what living out your faith in front of others, starting with your own family.

So I think of that. I want to encourage all of the young parents that are in here. Yes, you're going to be weary at points. Yes, you might be discouraged at points and maybe times where you're not even sure. But the Lord has not left the room nor your life.

He says, I'm with you in this. Stay together, persevere in faith. Trust me, I will make a way even in the midst of the difficulty. So here is the commitment to go deeper. Notice what it says there.

It says

"by faith, Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter." - Hebrews 11:24

What an incredible statement in this moment here, as he's become a man, as he is now an adult, and begin to think, think in a responsibly, spiritually, Biblical fashion. It says he refused. The word there means a specific act. There is a place, there is a.

A context where Moses, having been immersed in what the Egyptian culture, with all that that would have entailed, he turns away all of the privileges, royal privileges and amenities that would have been his. And the Hebrew preacher here describing a radical act of what transforming his identity. No longer is it about being in the royal court, but there is a conscious, real, faith, grounded decision to what it actually says to look away, to look away. But you're not only looking away to what was your identity, but you're now looking what to the one who is the source, the grounding. That's what's exciting.

And even in two weeks, when we gather the Gospel says that your identity, your grounding, your worth, your significance, your hope, your refuge, your future is in Jesus. That is the deepest and most profound reality of all.

Not feelings that may come and go or other things that can deceive you and mislead you and confuse you and break, break, you think of again. This is one of those moments when if you were to look back over the course of your faith journey, and obviously everyone is different here, but for many, was there not a moment when or a season where you had to wrestle with what you had been looking and living committed to this? And you realize as the spirit of God was stirring and convicting you were turning from this to now look and set your gaze upon Jesus.

That sounds almost like repentance without actually saying turning from what cannot give you life to the one and only who can in fact give you life. Unless we just hurry ahead. Think of all that would have been a part of what Moses would have enjoyed. He would have had the finest affair of food. He could have walked in the kitchen and said to the chef, I want this.

And the chefs wouldn't say, well master, I, we don't have time, they do it. He'd have access to the highest forms of academia and the disciplines of that as well. He had security details that monitored and watched over him. He carried with him the reputation of the most powerful man of the day, overwhelming wealth and possessions and status. And yet he exchanged all that so called man made pagan exalted focus.

And it says here the fleeting with that the fleeting pleasures of sin.

The fleeting pleasures of sin. As from time to time we said sin promises what it cannot deliver. It takes you where you do not want to go and it will leave you to ruin.

Chances are, even in this week, some of us are have wrestled with some kind of besetting sin. And in that sin it wants to undermine, diminish, confuse, push you away from Jesus in some way. But Moses consciously makes the decision to reject all of that and turn from it and trust in Christ. And in that, even as we saw a few weeks ago, Hebrews chapter 10, verses 32 to 34. Remember as he's writing to the believers to encourage them, he says,

"But recall the former days when after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better place, possession and an abiding one." - Hebrews 10:32-34

And I think back to Don's message a few weeks ago, when in that it talked about looking for a better country, looking out for a better country.

What a contrast. And Moses life points us in that regard. And in that we see verse, verse 26, we come back to this. But this truly is the foundation, the core. Someone's referred to it really the theological motivation for all that unfolds to a fleshly pagan world then and today.

Today it defies reason and rationality. When we look at Moses life, his greatness was tied to a greater eternal spiritual truth. Specifically, you see it there in the text what was that? The guts. This.

Does this even make sense if you're not a believer in Jesus? It doesn't. But it says there in verse 26, the reproach he considered. Rick referenced earlier there in chapter 10, where it says consider how to stimulate one another to loving good deeds. It's not a casual enterprise.

To consider means to truly think, rustle, digest. And here it says the reproach of Christ.

The reproach of Christ and all that that entail.

Shame, humiliation, sacrifice. P.E. hughes puts it this way.

"The reproach, another word would be disgrace, was not simply the reproach accepted by identifying himself with the people of God, but more precisely the reproach of coming, of the coming Messiah with whom he was united by faith." - P.E. Hughes

And, and again, this is, this is kind of stretches our minds, our hearts. Moses, what are we talking about? What roughly 14, 1500 BC Jesus is on the scene, what in a thousand or 1500 years later, here we are now, what, 2000? So we're talking from here, here today, going back 3500 years. And so Moses was given, it's a grace, an ability to look through human history and realize the most important and precious thing was that he ultimately, through his faith.

And you talked about Abraham, it's the same faith, though we have more now than what they did. But ultimately is it not putting our faith in the reality of Jesus Christ? And that's what Moses is doing here. So he looked away from the pagan emptiness and all the pursuits of that, and he looks to, with eternal perspective, the only one truly worthy of steadfast hope and trust. And so it made me think back to Ben's message four weeks ago.

And there, Hebrews, chapter 11, verse, verse one. What is faith?

"is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of not things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

Is that not Moses. Moses has a belief, a conviction, an assurance that provides the groundwork, the foundation.

So here we are, 3,500 years later, able to step into that same stream and have that same trust. I couldn't help but think of Moses standing there at the mount, looking over the Jordan river, knowing he's not going to cross over the river with the people. The promise, and yet the strategic role that he had played in faithful obedience all the years going. Think of Moses from the burning bush to the face to face encounter with the most powerful political figure of the day, to the 10 plagues, to the actual Exodus itself, to leading the people on dry land through the midst of the wall of water on either side in the Red Sea. Was it because there was some sort of a stoic self reliance.

Not at all. No. God gave to Moses what the ability to see the unseen God, to trust even in the invisible. Can you trust in the invisible? Is your faith grounded with the assurance and the person of Jesus Christ?

Is that undergirding you even as you face the realities before you and all that unfolds? And so we see this played out in a remarkable way.

And so, even though he didn't, Moses life and his faith had to Mark the people. They had been together, what for over 40 years. He had listened to the ongoing whining and fussing and sometimes the shallowness, and yet continued to persevere. That's one of the things that we see is this persevering, enduring aspect of Moses life.

And so he left Egypt. This is different from the first time that he left after he killed the Egyptian. And you'll have some, some different positions maybe that land on this. But the reason I, I believe this is at the end, as he's leading them out, is because it's the reference also to the Passover was not afraid of the king's anger. What a powerful statement.

This man that in one sense had all kinds of power over him. But this is one of those where Moses was guided and undergirded by what a greater fear, the fear of God, the trust of in God. So he could look at this man in the face and whatever intimidation, and he could say, almost kind of thinking like Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego or Daniel or Esther or others that looked in the face of real threat and said, okay, if it comes, it comes, but I will not relent. I will persist in faith and trust. And so as result, he follows God and establishing what the Passover.

And here they are doing something that they've not done before and trusting that the, the destroyer, the death angel will pass over their houses. They have trusted in what God has revealed through their servant Moses. And they lived. And then verse 29, they what? They cross over in faith.

And so many of you have found yourself sometimes in situations where you're moving from something you've known to something that is unknown. And it's only the fact that you believe the Lord is leading you to do that. And so you step out in faith and you do that and they cross over and they find themselves. And then immediately in verse 30, verse 30, we find it says,

"by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days." - Hebrews 11:30

I couldn't resist.

I was thinking about that and trying to envision what kind of strategic military strategy that would entail. So I went to the War College, and there are different ones. There's one for the army, there's one for the Navy. There. There are different ones.

And believe it or not, they. They train people for war. And yes. So I looked and I said, is there any reference in the War College, which is in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to the Battle of Jericho? And sure enough, there was.

And there were specific things that were drawn from that. That's not the important thing. But when we go back and we look and we think, was this a logical enterprise that they were called to. To walk around the walls of Jericho? We read more specifically the contents in Joshua, chapter one, verse 21, and I invite you to read that later today.

But those seemingly illogical. We step back and we look that this is a part, another step of God's unfolding redemptive plan working in and through the hearts and lives of his people. Now, here's a principle that is working its way out throughout, really, all the scriptures, but definitely chapter 11 and even in this portion this morning.

And it's that through faith in Jesus, as God leads our lives, there will be settings and circumstances in realities where he gives us ability to see things that the natural, unbelieving person cannot see. He will give to us awareness and understanding and wisdom. And yes, it can be even supernatural, but it means we live from a different perspective, and so we respond differently. One of the gentlemen that I use is a New Testament scholar by the name of George Guthrie, and he tells a story of some friends from his home and from his church that sat on the front lawn and watched their house burn to the ground. And in that, this is what the.

The wife, in interacting with George, said. If you have that quote, she said,

"george, pray for our neighbors. This is going to give us a great opportunity to witness to them." - George Guthrie's friend's wife

Now, does that make sense?

Does that seem illogical? Does it mean, even as we saw in the video, I saw a sensitivity to what? To the young girl that was so thrilled to have the package, but she had just had what her home burned to the ground. Does it mean that we don't feel pain and that emotion doesn't surge and sometimes overwhelm us and consume us? Yes, I would say yes.

I personally can testify to that. But even in the midst of that, the reality of Christ is still present in the crisis, sustaining and undergirding and then enabling us what to respond in a way that reflects his presence. And then finally, verse 31. I look forward to meeting Rahab someday. And obviously it doesn't necessarily, in one sense of description, she was a Canaanite.

We know. I still remember Brad's sermon years ago, when we were in Joshua and you were unpacking the wickedness and the evil of all those as those people groups. And so she had come out of that. But what does that say? Well, he's writing, in essence, to these Jewish believers.

What do we know? God has a heart for the nation. So regardless of background, experience, the power of God to reach into those settings and even into this person by the name of Rahab, who. Who means her. Her name means kind of broad.

And so you think of that and you think of her, at least her family standing on those shoulders, and then her willingness to risk her life. And two things are significant, even as we think of the difference between walking by faith and then trusting in the natural. Remember how it described. It said God's people, as they trusted him, went through the Red Sea, the army of the Egyptians came through. And what happened to them?

Well, they were covered up and they died. And they were not trusting in the Lord. They were trusting in their own human power, Rahab. And we see this even as she describes going back to Joshua, chapter 2, verses 9 through 11. Here she responds to the spies who've crept in with their own courage, putting their own lives at risk, inviting her.

And she says,

"I know the Lord has given you this land for the Lord your God. He is God in the heavens above and on the earth." - Joshua 2:9-11

And. And that's a recurring theme as we read about God in the Old Testament. He's always higher. He's the most high God, he's above. And here this woman is putting her life on the line, trusting God. Deep down inside, she's committed to the same truth as Moses and Abraham and all the others.

So let's tie this down here by just thinking in terms of wherever you are. There's a continuum in this room here. We're not all at the same place in our faith journey. And that's not the intent, but what's powerful is that we're privileged through faith in Christ to be joined together in ways that we can, what, encourage one another, cheer for one another, pull for one another in that regard, when we think of going deeper in faith, it. It's going to force us to do some things.

And I've just. These are four simple words. And the first is, is value. Even as you think here this morning, in this context of worship, as we leave this place and go out into the world and face the responsibilities and maybe even overwhelming challenges, value. What do we ultimately value?

Especially given the fact that we live in this incredibly consumeristic culture with all the pleasure and wealth and things that are in some ways so manifest? Secondly, as you think of what you value, what right now are the biggest threats to what you value? If Jesus is the greatest, greatest what value, then what would be contending as threats in your trusting in Christ? Third, where's your focus? One of the things that we're reminded and even as we see in what Hebrews Chapter 12, Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, the perfecter, the pioneer of our faith.

Where's your focus? Has your focus drifted again? I think of Jay's message many months ago to not retreat, to not drift. If you're here this morning, nobody raises their hand. But in your heart of hearts, in.

If you're drifting, then right now you can say, lord, I'm drifting. This is tugging on my heart. This is coming against me, whatever it is, and bring it to him. He's never left. He's present.

And then along with that, what would be any action steps, Remember, faith sooner or later is going to mean stepping out. One of my great memories is in your early days there in, in Louisville, where Emily and some of the folks, I guess, from your church there at Emanuel, they were burdened of the Lord to what? Not go beat up women in Christ's pregnancy, but to go and to extend the compassion of Christ, to engage gently, preciously, meaningfully with these individuals. And probably there were husbands and men that were there too, to just make a loving appeal to what to. To consider giving that child life.

You could have thought about it all day long in the dorm room, but the Lord didn't leave you comfortable in that. So you and others went. But you went with the right spirit to engage, to pursue. So what is it you're valuing? And I know there are all kinds of things that compete for that heart of Christ.

What are those, those threats? How are you fighting for that focus, to keep your eyes, your gaze on Jesus? And maybe you already know before you came in here this morning, there's certain steps of faith that you need to take, and you just needed the Lord to encourage you. So I didn't finish the story.

So we got Home from church, still no buyers. Monday came, still no buyers. Still no house. That night. On Monday night, we got a call they had found a rental force up there in Maryland.

So thank you, Lord. On Wednesday, two of the men from the church had driven down, were going to be there to rented a truck, and we were going to start loading. On Tuesday night, before they showed up, an offer came through on our house, and we had whatever gumption to counter, but as it turned out, because the hallway was a little wider as you came into the front door, and the folks wanting to buy the house needed that for a family member that was in a wheelchair. We didn't know that, but just around the corner. So we counter.

The next day, we're actually loading boxes. My dear wife. Wow. Packing those things. And the kids, you know, they're not fully abreast of all that's going on.

We're just moving to Maryland. Sometimes that's just the way it is. Young people, someday you'll. You'll realize that there's some weight and responsibility. But that's another topic.

We find out as we're just about finished loading the truck that they accepted the offer. And the next day we headed to Maryland.

The Lord is with us. In crisis, you are never, never alone. He wants to meet you there because he wants to show you more of himself. Think of it. Think of eternity.

People. Sometimes they say, well, will I be born in. In heaven? Are you kidding me? You're in the presence of the Creator, God.

You're the. He's the one that spoke every microscopic portion of reality, the mountains and everything. He's the one that loves you in a way that you don't even fully comprehend. As someone has said,

"he's the one that put on flesh and allowed himself to be naked and bleeding on a cross." - Unknown Author

"But God demonstrates his own love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8

precious ones.

Let's not shrink back. Let's step forward in faith together. Think of those Navy seals at Seal beach there in San Diego, in 50 degree water, locking arms as the waves wash on. That's what we had the privilege to do, Lord.

It was your plan to put Moses and all these other figures that we read about. Rahab, the people of Israel, the various ones that my brothers have preached on in previous weeks, and even the ones that are coming next week, Lord. Some moments, as you know, our hearts, our faith seems to be so strong and fortified. And then other times, Lord, it's like sometimes we can almost be paralyzed with fear. Uncertainty.

But you understand it all, Lord. You are with us in all of it. And you faithfully walk with us, leading us to a better country. Help us like Moses, Lord, to be able to see more fully. Open the eyes of our hearts.

We pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Sermons

Trust in the Greater Treasure - Hebrews 11:23-31 - October 25, 2026 - David Doster